


i've a funny feeling (we'd make a perfect pair)

by chesslock



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: College AU, Eventual Smut, F/F, Friends to Lovers, jackie pines from backstage, jan's the lead in the fall musical
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chesslock/pseuds/chesslock
Summary: Jackie didn’t know Jan well, only in passing — Jan was a year below her, and she split her time between theatre and soccer, yet another thing she excelled at. Jackie, on the other hand, split her time between theatre and sitting alone in her apartment, watching Star Trek reruns in secret.So, like, different social circles.What she knew of Jan, though, she liked. Maybe a little bit too much. But there was absolutely no need for her friends to know that.
Relationships: Jackie Cox/Jan Sport
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	i've a funny feeling (we'd make a perfect pair)

**Author's Note:**

> this one goes out to my fellow theater lesbians who were repressed af and had secret crushes on the pretty girls with the pretty voices. i have recently developed a crippling obsession with miss jan sp*rt and this is my only outlet

The late summer sunshine was a welcome shift in Jackie’s day as she finally emerged from the library, shrugging her backpack on. She didn’t have classes on Mondays, so she’d spent the morning cranking through her microeconomics study guide and catching up on the women’s studies reading she’d somehow fallen behind on. Tech week started tonight, and she didn’t want any more work than necessary hanging over her head — she needed to stay focused.

Jackie popped her earbuds in for her trek across campus to the performing arts building, quietly humming along to the music. She was feeling particularly grateful for the little home she’d carved out for herself in the theatre department — she had a deeply rooted love for musicals but had never especially had the singing ability to pursue it. Sophomore year, she took a one-off dance class to fulfill a credit and met Jaida, who had been doing makeup and costumes for the department’s shows. The two fumbled their way through the semester together, laughing at their own lack of flexibility and cementing a rock-solid bond.

Now, as seniors, Jackie and Jaida found themselves in charge of makeup, costumes and hair more often than not. Jaida took it all in stride, finding projects for the eager underclassmen and making them feel important while simultaneously ensuring that the quality didn’t slip through the cracks. Jackie could never find that balance, that effortlessness. It was all she could do to make sure she was doing her best work, let alone corralling the freshmen.

Jackie pushed open the door to the theatre building and was immediately greeted by the rush of the AC. She pulled out her headphones and headed straight to the costume room, where she knew Jaida would already be working. The two of them liked to show up early when their schedules allowed it; they both loved the quiet of the building in the sliver of time before the cast started to arrive for rehearsal.

She rounded the corner and sure enough, there was Jaida, surrounded by scraps of red fabric and carefully hand-stitching something or other. Sitting cross-legged on the table next to her was the one underclassmen the two of them just couldn’t shake, a sophomore named Gigi who was constantly touching props that weren’t hers and fully getting away with it with a bat of her lashes. Today, she was sporting a bobbed flapper wig that Jackie had just finished styling the day before.

“I think you know what I’m about to say, baby Geeg,” Jackie said, her smile evident in her voice. She couldn’t help but be endeared to the kid, even though she seemed to take great joy in fucking with Jackie’s sanity.

Gigi pulled the wig off with a wide mischievous grin — one that told Jackie she was absolutely not learning her lesson — her long dark hair coming unraveled in the process. “Sorry, Mom.”

Gigi hopped down off the table and Jackie slung an arm across her shoulders, looking down at Jaida’s handiwork. “Whatcha working on, babe? I thought you had that gown finished, like weeks ago.”

Jaida sighed deeply, looking up at her best friend with tired eyes. “It was done, and it was fine, but me and Gigi have been going back over the reference photos and I just don’t think it’s right yet.”

Gigi laughed. “Yeah, and Jan’s gonna be the one wearing it, so you know it’s gotta be perfect.”

Jackie laughed along, but she could feel her stomach doing those secret little flips it sometimes did when Jan became the topic of conversation. Gigi’s teasing was lighthearted — yes, the backstage girls liked to laugh about Jan’s exuberance, her attention to detail, her desire for everything to go exactly right, but no one really held it against her. The girl was a star, and it was clear to anyone who’d seen her perform. Save for the other girls vying for roles year after year, no one was ever really mad when Jan scored another lead. She was so damn sweet, it made it hard to be anything but happy for her.

Jackie didn’t know Jan well, only in passing — Jan was a year below her, and she split her time between theatre and soccer, yet another thing she excelled at. Jackie, on the other hand, split her time between theatre and sitting alone in her apartment, watching Star Trek reruns in secret.

So, like, different social circles.

What she knew of Jan, though, she liked. Maybe a little bit too much. But there was absolutely no need for her friends to know that.

Jackie shook off the feeling. “I have total faith in you. But I would highly recommend settling for mediocrity for the time being, because we have to start getting some divas into hair and makeup in 20.” She turned and headed for the doorway.

Jaida groaned and slowly lowered her forehead to the table. Gigi sheepishly patted her head before following Jackie out of the room.

“I do not do mediocrity, Jacqueline!”

— — — 

Jackie fancied herself a pretty smart person, but it was days like today that made her seriously question her own judgement.

She could chalk it up to just being too good a friend. Jaida was hellbent on finishing the details of that goddamn dress before Jan needed it halfway through the second act, and she’d pleaded with Jackie to please, please take over the responsibility of doing the lead’s makeup. Just for tonight.

“Geeg and Nicky and their little crew can handle everyone else,” Jaida had said as the two of them absently watched the cast’s vocal warmups. “I just need you to do this for me tonight, Jacks. You know how Bianca will get if I don’t have this finished.”

Jackie did know. Their director was formidable, to say the least, and she did not accept excuses. Who was Jackie to abandon her best friend in a time of crisis?

She’d agreed, and seeing the way Jaida’s face lit up filled Jackie with a rush of affection for her. The bitch was a perfectionist and a workaholic to a fault, but she always took so much pride in what she produced, Jackie knew it’d be worth it.

Well, at least Jaida was happy.

Because now, ten minutes later, Jackie found herself sitting in a too-small metal chair in an empty classroom, knee-to-knee with Jan.

Which was, of course, totally fine and no cause for concern.

“Thanks so much for doing this, you don’t even wanna know what I’d look like up there if I was in charge,” Jan said with a laugh, flipping a long section of blonde hair back over her shoulder. Jackie wished she’d stop; every toss of her hair filled the air with Jan’s lavender shampoo and it was making Jackie’s fingers shake.

“No problem! Just doin’ my job,” Jackie said, trying to sound lighthearted. Watching Jan from afar was one thing, but Jackie was pretty sure this was the first real conversation the two of them had ever had. It was always just simpler that way — the only thing worse than being a stranger to your unrequited secret lesbian crush is being friends with your unrequited secret lesbian crush. Close enough to touch. Actually, actively touching. Jackie was laser-focused on brushing eyeshadow onto Jan’s lid, all too aware of the other girl’s bright eyes looking back at her. 

“You’re friends with Jaida, right? She seems so cool,” Jan said, blissfully unaware of the tornado in Jackie’s brain.

“Yeah! We’ve been really close for a couple years now,” Jackie said, grateful for the opportunity to gush about her friend rather than try to talk about herself. “We weirdly have a lot in common, even though she’s a literal goddess.”

Jan batted at Jackie’s arm. “Hey! You’re a literal goddess, too,” she admonished. “You have the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen.” She gently took a section of Jackie’s hair in her hand, feeling the weight of her thick black curls, bouncing it in her palm for a moment. “Seriously, stun,” Jan said, clicking her tongue and shooting Jackie a finger-gun.

Um. What?

That was… not where Jackie expected this conversation to go.

“Besides,” Jan continued, dropping her hands to her lap, “it makes total sense that you guys are friends. You both have big Hufflepuff energy.”

That made Jackie laugh as she popped the cap off her liquid eyeliner. “That’s a giant compliment, but unfortunately I think I’m a little too uptight,” she said, leaning in close to get her line precise. Her confidence was easing back in as she got deeper into the makeup. She knew she was good at this, and she couldn’t complain about the canvas, either.

Jan was smiling again, trying to do so without crinkling her eyes and subsequently fucking up her liner. “Oh, wait til the cast party, gorg,” she said. “I’ll get you loosened up.”

Jackie’s mouth dropped into a little ‘o’ of surprise. “That’s awfully presumptuous.” 

“Y’know, I’ve been waiting all semester for a reason to talk to you, Jackie,” Jan said, slightly pursing her lips so Jackie can finish her lipstick.

Jackie had truly no idea how to respond to something like that. Thankfully, Bianca chose that moment to pop her head in the doorway, hollering (lovingly) at them to hurry it up — Jan should’ve been backstage three minutes ago, where Nicky was waiting to help her secure her long hair under her wig.

Jackie capped the lipstick tube and stood up. “Well, I’ll, uh, see you out there. This was fun.”

Jan checked her face in the mirror, giving her lips a little smack for good measure. “Thank you, Jackie, really. I think we’re going to be really fast friends.”

She squeezed both of Jackie’s hands in her own for one second, two, before turning and leaving the room.

Jackie pressed her palms over her eyes, trying to get a handle on the million feelings whipping through her mind. One stood out, much clearer than the others but not any less embarrassing — she had to go make a confession to Jaida.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on tumblr @ vveekendupdate :) i'm so excited to be writing this.


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